Week remains to end of free-of-charge exchange of leva for euro at Bulgaria’s commercial banks
There is only a week left until the end of the period in which the public can exchange leva for euro without fees and commissions at commercial banks and certain branches of Bulgarian Post.
The deadline expires on June 30 2026 inclusive, and the exchange is carried out at the fixed rate of 1.95583 leva for 1 euro.
From July 1, banks and post offices will be able to charge a fee for this service. Bulgarian National Bank will continue to exchange leva for euro free of charge, with no limit on quantity and no deadline.
The end of this transition period coincides with the active summer season and raises another practical question: since the euro is now the main currency in Bulgaria, what do people do when they travel to countries outside the euro zone?
According to precious metals and forex trader Tavex, there is currently increased demand for Turkish lira, Hungarian forint, Polish zloty, Czech koruna, Bosnian convertible mark, Serbian dinar and Chinese yuan. Demand levels are similar to those from the same period last year, indicating that Bulgarians continue to choose local currency for their travels when the destination does not use the euro.
This is an important signal: the introduction of the euro does not eliminate the need for currency planning, Tavex said. For trips to Türkiye, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Hungary, Poland, Czechia or China, the question remains practical – when it is wiser to exchange money in advance, when to rely on a card and how to avoid unnecessary costs when paying abroad.
“The introduction of the euro does not mean that Bulgarians stop thinking in currencies. On the contrary – the summer season shows that when people travel outside the euro zone, they continue to orient themselves towards the local currency of the country they are going to,” said Max Baklayan, the financial expert who is the founder and CEO of Tavex.
Tavex also reports higher interest in the Czech koruna compared to the same period last year. Czechia is traditionally among the preferred urban and cultural destinations for Bulgarians, and at the end of June Prague gathers an international audience with a series of major concerts and events.
